Therapeutical heating and steaming instrument



Dec. 27, 1927. 1,653,901

L. J. HAESSLY THERAPEUTICAL HEATING AND STEAMING INSTRUMENT Filed May14. 1923 2$heets-Sheet 1 Suva-n10:

L (S. Hass'lg as W I Gl'hzmu35 'Dec. 27, 1927. 1,653,901

.L. J. HAESSLY THERAPEUTICAL HEATING AND STEAMING INSTRUMENT Filed May1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES LEO J. nAEss or'cLEvELANn, omo.

THEBAPEU'I'ICAL HIE AGEING AND STEAMING INS!!!RU.ltIIENT,

Application filed May 14,

The present invention has been devised to provide a convenient handdevice for applying heat, especially heat and steam, to the face or bodyof a person. The conception involves the use of an electrical heaterwithin a relatively small hollow body supported upon a handle andpreferably provided w th an electrical switch intermediate the main bodyand the handle, together with an absorbent pad detachably secured to theheating body contiguous to the electrical heater therein. Asarranged andmounted the pad may be dipped or immersed in a llquld without injury tothe electric heater and the abl5 sorbed liquid may be heated toanydes1red degree or quickly converted mto steam and applied locally tothe face or body of a person. The pad is readily detached and may besubstituted by another in operatmgon different persons, and a separateenclosing cover is provided for the pad, which may be washed andsterilized and ironed fiat.

In the annexed drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective View of my improvedelectr cal heating and steaming device aslt appears when held in thehand and applied to the face. Fig. 2 is a side view of the device placedwithin a saucer containing water. Fig. 3 is a top view of the quiltedabsorbent pad itself, and Fig. 4 is a side or edge .view of the pad;Fig. 5 is a top view of the shirred cover for the pad and Fig. 6 is across section of said cover on line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Figs. 7 and 8 aretop. and side vlews,

- respectively of the device without the pad and its cover. Fig. 9 is avertical .sectlon longitudinally through the device, and 10 is a crosssection on line 10-10 of F1 11, showing the hollow body and the electricheater therein and also the pad afiixed there to. Fig. 11 is ahorizontal section on bus- 1111 of Fig. 9, showing a face view of theelectric heater, and also show ng a hollow handle portion containing anelectric switch.

The device comprises a hollow round body- 1923. Serial No. 638,812.

may be fastened together in any other suitable way. The handle has acentral longitudinal bore or opening 10 to permit an electricalinsulated conductor 11 to extend therethroughand into hollow body 2where the two wires 12 and 13 comprising said conductor are separatedand attached to independent binding screws 14.- and 15 respectively.These binding screws are mounted upon a disk of insulating material, forexample, a. disk shaped body 16 of porcelain of approximately the samediameter as end flange 3 of body 2, to permit end seating engagementtherewith. The opposite ends of a relatively long coils of resistancewire 17 are attached to the heads of binding screws 14 and 15 atdiametrically opposite points of the disk, and the resistance coil iswound back and forth or in a serpentine or circuitous form transverselyof the disk. The windings or folds extend on straight parallel linesbetween parallel ribs 18 formed on the bottom face "of the disk. Thebase of the grooves between the adjacent ribs is preferably round ed toseat the round wire co l, and alternate ribs are undercut at oppositeends or provided with an over-hanging'lip or extension 19, (seeFig. '10)to confine and hold the coil in place where bent reversely. Ribs 18also.

project beyond the horizontal plane of the wire coil 17 to permit a th ndisk of insulating material such as a mica disk 20 to be seated upon allthe ribs, and a circular flanged. cap 21 having a dished bottom 22 isadapted to confine and hold the porcelain and mica disks and the heatingcoils removably at the bottom side of body 2. Any suitable means may beused to secure cap 21 to body 2; for example, screws 23 maybe used tofasten the flange portion of the cap to the flange portion 3 of body 2'as shown, and it is desirable that a snug and water-tight fit be made atthe joint, inasmuch as it may occur that this heating end of the devicemay be immersed or become submerged in liquid during 'use. Thus thedevice is designed to be used with an absorbent pad 24 which is shown inthe drawings as composed of several layers a, b and c, of quiltedcotton, each layer'being in the form of a disk and the superposed disksbeing of different d1- ameters. The top layer a, is made to fit withinthe dished portion or recess 25 at the bottom of cap 21, and the middledisk I) is made of slightly larger diameter to overlap the round beadedcorner'26 of cap 21, whereas the larger bottom layer 0 is of sufiicientsize to completely envelop the flanged side of cap 21, substantially asseen in Fig. 10. The pads are compressed and held in place in theenveloping position as stated by means of a cover 27 made of duck orother suitable woven textile material. The cover 27 is made of a flatpiece of woven material in the form of a disk having a shirred or hemmededge 28 to confine a draw string 29 and it is of ample size tocompletely envelop the pad and also body 2 at its base where channel 4is provided to receive and hold the hem portion 28 when the draw string29 is tightly drawn and fastened. A

" relatively thick absorbent pad is thereby provided at, the bottom ofcap 21 andthe metal parts completelyenclosed so that,full and ampleprotection is obtained in use. Cap 21 is made of sheet copper orsomeother relatively thin sheet metal of good heat conductivity, and body 2is provided with elongated openings or perforations 29 at its top or inits handle portion to keep this part of the body cool.v In F gnll I showa cylindrical enlargement (if at the end of tubular extension 5 topermitan electricswitch 30 of any suitable kind to be mounted thereinintermediate the handle 8 and body 2; As shown this switch has opposedpush members 31 to turn the electric current on or ofi, by pressure ofthe thumb and finger of the hand which grips the handle.

In use the device is held in the hand and the padded heating end isdipped into water or other liquid contained in a shallow vessel such asa saucer =32. If desired the electric current may be switched on at thistime to heat the li uid in the saucer, or the electric current may eturned on after the pad has absorbed suflicient moisture or liquid asdesired. This liquid may be water or oil, such as camphor oil or anyliquid medicament used in the therapeutical treatments or in massagingor treating the face or body, especially where the ap lication of steamand heat is particularly eneficial in a specific place or spot in acontinued heating operation. The pad if saturated'with water willproduce steamat usable temperatures and "the device may be usedbeneficially in treating neuralgia and rheumatimpaili's locally,

toothache, ear-ache, abdominal pains, in congested places, and in factin innumerable places and in a variety of ways where steam and heatconstantly applied will beneficial. The heating temperature may bereadily regulated by the push button switch without removing the handfrom the handle. As shown the electrical conductor 11 is provided withan attachment plug 33 which permits an electrical connection to be madewherever an electrical lamp socket or electrical plug connection may befound. The device isfmade and sold with the cord and its attachment plutogether with the movable pad and its clamping and holdingcover. Thepresent showing represents my preferred construction, but it will bereadily understood that the device may be changed and modified in manyrespects without de parting materially from the spirit and scope of myinvention.

What I claim is:

1. A therapeutical heating and steaming instrument, comprising anelectric heater, a handle memberhaving a removable fluid tight metal capenclosing said heater, and an absorbin covering pad for said cap.

2. A t erapeutical heating and steaming instrument, comprising anelectric heater, a hollow enclosing body for said heater having ahandle, an electrical conductorconnected with said heater, an envelopingpad of soft absorbent material and means'for detachably securing saidpad to said body opposite said heater.

3. A therapeutical heating and steaming instrument, comprising a mainbody havin a hollow lateral extension and handle, a fluidtight bottomremovably afiixed to said body, an electrical heater mounted within saidbottom, a covering of absorbent material for said bottom, and means forsecuring said covering detachably to said body.

4. A therapeutical heating and steaming instrument, comprising a mainbody having a hollow extension and handle, an electric heater removablysecured at the bottom oi said body having electrical connectionsextending through said handle, a dished heatconducting plate removablysecured in fluidtight connection with said body opposite said heater,and a removable covering of absorbent material'enveloping said plate andthe sides of said body.

5. A therapeutical heatingand steaming instrument, comprising a mainbody having a hollow extension and handle at one side thereof, a disk ofinsulating material seated atv the bottom of said body having anelectrical heating coil mounted thereon and provided-with electricalconnections extending through said handle, a thin metal cap detachablysecured to said body in insulated enclosing relation to said heatingcoil, and a removable pad of absorbent material detachably secured inenveloping position upon said cap.

6. A therapeutical heating and steaming instrument, comprising a..hollow body haw ing a tubular extension and handle and proing a handleat one side and an electrical vided with an open bottom, a disk ofinsulatheater mounted at its bottom, a paid of abing material enclosingsaid bottom having sorbent material of larger area than said .anelectrical heating coil mounted thereon," body, and means to secure saidpad at its a dished metal cap enclosing said coil and edge Within thegroove in said body and in disk, an absorbent pad enveloping said cap,enveloping position around the sides and botand means detachablysecuring said pad in tom of the body. place. In testimony whereof Ihereby affix my 7 A therapeutical heating and steaming signature hereto.W instrument, an annularly-grooved body hav- LEO J. HAESSLY.

